The use of internal lighting in tiles and/or pavers that can be combined or arranged into illuminated tile systems has been constrained by technological limitations. For example, older systems had to rely on light sources of limited lifetime, making it impractical for lighted tiles to be permanently installed into buildings and/or walkways. Newer technologies, including solid state lighting systems like light emitting diodes and organic light emitting diodes, present new opportunities to integrate internal lighting into tiles in practical and durable ways. The added durability can permit the use of illuminated tile systems for safety and/or decorative purposes.
Several issues remain unresolved, however, by the new technologies. As an example, hot spots and dead zones of lights within tiles, and dark junctions between tiles, still compromise the effectiveness of illuminated tile systems. Weatherproofing of the internal lighting of the tiles from water and/or dirt also remains impractical and expensive.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring of the drawings. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of different embodiments. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the illuminated tile systems and methods for manufacturing the same described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the illuminated tile systems and methods for manufacturing the same described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electrical, physical, mechanical, optical, or other manner. The term “on,” as used herein, is defined as on, at, or otherwise adjacent to or next to or over.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements, mechanically, electrically, optically, and/or otherwise, either directly or indirectly through intervening elements. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.
The term “translucent” describes a material that is translucent and/or transparent.